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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151603">Tangled Webs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar'>Kitsune_Moonstar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Academia, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Shadowgast Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:29:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Essek has just lied to his mother about having a date to the annual Radiance Gala.  Thankfully, there someone who owes him a favor.  What could possibly go wrong?  Written for Shadowgast Week 2020. Prompt: Fake Dating AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>169</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Shadowgast Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I do not own Critical Role or its characters.  Written for Shadowgast Week 2020. Prompt: Fake Dating AU.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            In all honesty, Essek knows this is completely his own fault.  On multiple levels.  He should have known better.  Everything just got out of hand.  Between the regular chaos of the end of the term and marking the seminar session he'd been roped into teaching this term, preparing several papers for publication, half a dozen personal research projects, a new governmental research grant he was overseeing, and the passel of exchange students that he was ostensibly responsible for, Essek had spaced on the other events that might be going on.</p>
<p>            Which included the annual Radiance Gala that Leylas Kryn held every year.  And that meant that Essek hadn't made arrangements to be anywhere else during it.  No conference in another country, no research sabbatical where he was away from Rosohna, no last minute deadline he couldn't possibly avoid.  Nothing that would be seen as a reasonable excuse by anyone involved for him not to be there.  So after years of successfully avoiding attendance, Essek was going to have to actually attend the gala.</p>
<p>            That was his first mistake and the more understandable of the two.  The second came from accepting a dinner invitation from his mother without first checking who else might be coming.  It wasn't that Essek disliked his brother.  Verin was fine.  Essek was distantly fond of him.  The problem was more the way that their mother pitted them against one another at every turn, and the way that Verin played into that without even realizing it.  To be fair, it had taken years for Essek to realize his mother's game, and despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to manage to completely extricate himself from the family fold.</p>
<p>            Essek will blame stress and lack of sleep for what happened next.  Of course, Verin was there, and of course, the subject of the Gala and suitable dates came up.  That was bad enough, but then Verin had to go on and reveal he had a date.  In fact, Essek would probably be able to write an essay about Verin's date given how much he talked about her.  And she is everything that their mother would want for her son: pretty, ambitious, well connected, and advancing in her career.  The problem is now Essek is going to be Deirta Thelyss' main focus when it comes to procuring dates.  And that's when he had made his third mistake.</p>
<p>            He'd opened his mouth and said, "Actually, I'm currently in a relationship at the moment, so of course I'll be bringing him as my date."</p>
<p>            It was a complete and utter lie.  Essek hadn't been on so much as a date in years.  His mother had set up the last one, and it had gone horribly.  Essek was perfectly content with his current life in academia as busy and crazy as it was and the odd if quite enjoyable friendship he'd fallen into with the strangest group of students he'd ever met.  But he also knew what his mother would say about that.  His friends did nothing to increase his standing and prestige (which was what friends were for in her mind), and he had a duty to marry well and carry on his Den's reputation.</p>
<p>            And if he showed up without a date, he'd never hear the end of it unless he actually broke all ties with his family.  It was tempting much of the time, but Essek wasn't ready to take that step.  Which meant that he needed to find a date.  Luckily, he was owed a favor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Essek arrived at the Xhorhaus armed.  He had no idea how many of the motley group that had become his firmest friends would be home, but it never hurt to be prepared.  If he was very lucky, no one would be around except for Caleb.  Of course, he had yet to visit the Xhorhaus to find only one person home, but he could live in hope.  As much as he adored all of the members of the Mighty Nein as they called themselves, he was about to give them teasing material that could last for years.  But he had no one else to turn to, and truthfully, there was no one else he would trust with this, even if it meant being teased for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>            The Might Nein as they called themselves were motley group of exchange students and guest faculty who had found their way to the Marble Tomes University.  They shared a large house a few neighborhoods away from the school, and originally, Essek had been assigned as their liaison.  They had been bound and determined to befriend him though, and Essek had been helpless under the assault.  He was still very new to having friends, but he wouldn't give them up for the world, even if they could cause more than a few headaches.</p>
<p>            Veth Brenatto along with her husband, Yeza, were actually visiting faculty.  The two were accomplished alchemists, even if Veth was rather prone to causing explosions.  Then were three graduate students, Caduceus, Caleb, and Beau.  Beau was an exchange student from the Cobalt Soul's Library Science program.  They were in talks about opening a branch in Rosohna, so Beau's attendance was a testing of the waters of sorts.  Caduceus was studying botany, though he also had a Master's in religious studies and was doing some continuing research here on those topics as well.  Caleb was a wizard like Essek.  He was also technically a transfer student, not an exchange student.  He would not be returning to the Soltryce University.  Not after exposing quite a few of their faculty for unethical research methods and experimentation.  And it had been that event which had led most of the group to come to Rosohna in the first place.</p>
<p>            There was also Jester who was an art student with a minor in religious studies, though that seemed to mostly consist of her trying to legitimize the cult she belonged to and may have actually founded.  Jester was an unstoppable force though, and having been on the receiving end of it, Essek was fairly sure that in a hundred years she would be remembered as the High Priestess of the Traveler.  Fjord was also studying religion though that seemed to be a more recent development.  Essek hadn't pressed on the details there as it seemed that there was some sort of recent turmoil there.  Yasha was a music student which tended to surprise people.  Essek had heard her play though, and he wouldn't be surprised if she eventually became the most famous harpist in Xhorhas.</p>
<p>            His was startled out of his thoughts when the door was yanked open to reveal a beaming Jester.</p>
<p>            "Essek!  We weren't expecting you.  What's up?"</p>
<p>            "Is Caleb home?"  He held out the box of pastries to her.  "I need to speak with him."</p>
<p>            "Oh?" Jester waggled her eyebrows at him.  "Does it have something to do with the lovely invitations we just received?"</p>
<p>            He blinked at her; he should have guessed that the Nein would be invited to the Radiance Gala.  Jester just grinned.</p>
<p>            "Caleb's in the library, but when you're done with him, I want to pick your brain about this Gala.  Caduceus and I are figuring out everybody's outfits."</p>
<p>            Essek headed down familiar hallways to the library.  Caleb was bent over a mass of paper and ink, completely absorbed on whatever spellwork he was working on.  Essek couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.</p>
<p>            "What has you so intent this time?"</p>
<p>            Caleb's head flew up, "Essek!  I wasn't expecting you."</p>
<p>            "I'm sorry to intrude.  I need a favor."</p>
<p>            Caleb blinked at him.  "This sounds serious.  Would you like a seat?"</p>
<p>            Essek shook his head.  "I'm fine.  It's not that serious.  In my haste to keep my mother from foisting a date on me for the Radiance Gala, I told her I was bringing my boyfriend."</p>
<p>            "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."</p>
<p>            "I don't.  Hence the favor."</p>
<p>            Caleb studied him for a long moment.  "What exactly would this entail?"</p>
<p>            "Come to the Gala with me as my date.  Convince my mother we're in a long term relationship.  Then I can make sure I have something else on my schedule next year and go back to never attending the Gala again."</p>
<p>            Caleb just laughed.  "Clearly you look forward to this every year."</p>
<p>            Essek just sighed.  "I forgot to figure out another commitment for the date.  I've managed to avoid attending every year since the first time."</p>
<p>            "I'm happy to help out, and we do owe you several favors.  We should probably get together sometime and hash out our story, so it won't trip us up if asked.  What do you think about changing this here--" Caleb points to a line of a spell, and Essek lets himself be drawn into a conversation about spell modification.</p>
<p>            It was probably the most relaxing few hours Essek had spent since he realized his mistake earlier this week.  Talking magic with Caleb was always enjoyable, and he was one of the few people that Essek didn't have to worry about politics or offending religious sensibilities with.  It was with regret that he finally pulled himself away some hours later.  Of course, they had made a great deal of progress on the spell in question, and if Essek didn't have a stack of lab reports to deal with by tomorrow, he would have been happy to keep working on it.</p>
<p>            Jester snagged him as he made his way out the door.</p>
<p>            "Heading home?  I'll walk with you."</p>
<p>            She looped her arm through his as they made their way down the street.</p>
<p>            "So, tell me about the Gala.  What's the dress code?  Are you and Caleb going together?  What are you wearing?" She waggled her eyebrows at him.  "We can make sure you match!"</p>
<p>            Essek smiled even as he shook his head; despite his dread of the event, it was hard not to be charmed by Jester's enthusiasm.  "It's a formal event, though people do tend to favor, ah, unique looks.  The theme is always light, so make of that what you will.  Caleb had agreed to go as my date.  I don't actually know what I'm going to wear."</p>
<p>            The young woman clapped her hands together.  "Oh!  You should totally come shopping with Caduceus and me.  I bet you know the best places to shop for fancy clothes in Rosohna."</p>
<p>            "I could come up with some suggestions."</p>
<p>            "Great!  I'll text you and we can plan a trip."  She grinned at him.  "I'm still getting our budget together, but we’ve got almost two weeks, so that's plenty of time."</p>
<p>            As they parted ways, Essek had the sinking feeling that perhaps he had not thought this all the way through.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Unsurprisingly, Jester is quite enthusiastic about arranging the shopping trip.  But while Jester's enthusiasm for things could be overwhelming at times, Essek did enjoy her company a great deal.  She was one of the very few people he'd met who had never taken his family or his position into account when dealing with him.  All of the Nein were like that to some extent, but especially Jester.  She always seemed to see him as Essek first and foremost, and that was a new experience for him.  He'd never admit it, but she was his favorite after Caleb.  And it weren't for the fact that he had absolutely no romantic interest in women, Essek probably would have asked her to be his date, if only to see how his mother would have reacted.</p><p>            Thankfully, it seemed that Jester was more than able to working around Essek's schedule, and before he knew it, he had a shopping expedition planned with her.  He wasn't at all surprised to find Jester and Caduceus waiting for him at their favorite coffee shop, given he was running fifteen minutes late due to a meeting with a student that had run long.</p><p>            "Essek!  We got you a chai latte," Jester pressed the drink into his hand.  "Are you ready to do this?  You said you had an idea of what shops we could try."</p><p>            Essek nodded.  "There are a couple of tailors that I frequent that might do.  I wasn't entirely sure what you were looking for when it came your party clothes."</p><p>            Jester grinned.  "Well, everyone else entrusted us with the choices, and Caduceus and I have ideas.  We'll need a suit for Beau and evening gowns for myself and Yasha.  I'm thinking something nautical for Fjord, like a captain's uniform.  I'm not entirely sure what to do for Caleb and Veth.  Well, Veth's should have buttons as a decoration, but other than that I'm not sure what direction to go with her outfit."</p><p>            "That gives us a starting place at least," Essek told her.  "I have a few shops for us to try.  We'll see if we can come up with something that will suit our needs."</p><p>            He led them towards the tailor shop that he frequented when he needed formal clothes.   While Essek did try to avoid most formal occasions, especially ones that might force him to interact with members of Den Thelyss, he did actually enjoy fashion, even if his style was far more subtle than his mother approved of.  At the very least, they could probably get the suits Jester wanted here.  Gowns would probably be another stop, but if they liked his tailor's work, the man might have some suggestions about where to go for those gowns.</p><p>            The Vanishing Thread was a family establishment.  As long as Essek had patronized the shop, there had been a Wanjin running it.  Of course, the founder of the establishment had a tendency to adopt any apprentices with talent, so that had led to some interesting variations in style over the years.  Raena Wanjin was the current owner, and she had never steered him wrong, even if she did complain that he never dressed up enough.</p><p>            She was behind the counter when they entered the shop though.</p><p>            "Essek!  What brings you in?  Last I heard you'd sworn off formal events forever."</p><p>            He sighed.  "Hello, Raena.  I may be attending the Radiance Gala this year."</p><p>            The petite drow clapped her hands together.  "Fantastic.  I've been waiting for this for years."</p><p>            Jester giggled.  "He even has a date."</p><p>            "Oh?"</p><p>            Introducing the pair of the might have been a mistake on his part.  Essek sighed again.</p><p>            "Jester, Caduceus, this is Raena Wanjin, the proprietor of this shop.  Raena, this two are in charge of wardrobe for a group of their friends attending the Gala.  One of them is coming as my date."</p><p>            "Oh, this is going to be fun." Raena smiled winningly at Jester.  "Do you already have ideas for what you're looking for?"</p><p>            Essek settled into one of the chairs scattered around the shop and let them have at it.  As long as he could veto anything too over the top, Essek was glad someone else do the heavy lifting on this one.  And there was something nice about doing this with friends.  The only other time that Essek had ever really done something like this with another person was when his mother had insisted on overseeing the preparations for his first Radiance Gala.  And that had not been a particularly pleasant experience.</p><p>            "Essek, come take a lot at what we've got so far," Jester called, and he let himself be pulled back into the matter at hand.</p><p>            By the time they left the shop several hours later, half of the clothing had been taken care of and Jester had the name of a dressmaker that Raena had recommended.  He and Caleb had not ended up with matching outfits, but with ones that did complement each other.  Fitting appointments had been arranged, and now the three of them were off to the dressmaker's.  Essek would admit that it was a much more pleasant day than he'd expected when he'd agreed to do this, but then perhaps that was simply the company.  And he was absolutely certain that the Mighty Nein were going to make quite the splash when they arrived at the Gala.</p>
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